Chaos Theory
by bugzie
Summary: Sequel to Truth & Measure. For every action that we take, there is a consequence. With both the vampires and Lycans trying to regain order, Selene and the humans are drawn into unlocking the dark secrets of the bloodlines as a new threat develops.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the original characters that I have created.

**Summary:** Sequel to Truth & Measure.

For every action that we take, there is a consequence. The war is drawn to a sudden stop, and as both the vampires and Lycans count their victories and losses, the two great covens struggle to regain order. Politics, retribution and ambition are inevitable as new allegiances are formed and lines that once separated the two covens are blurred.

But with a bigger threat on the horizon, Selene and the group of humans are drawn into unlocking the dark secrets of the bloodlines, where the fate of the world rests on the ultimate battle between the Immortals.

**Rating:** M for violence and swearing and sexual references (in the future)

**Pairing:** Selene/OFC, Michael/OFC, others may develop along the way

**Author's Note:** I do apologize for the very, very long wait. Real life seemed to have caught up with me for a while. This is a sequel to Truth & Measure and immediately picks up where the last chapter finished. I've changed some of the plot to fit my story. This story does include femslash, so if it does offend you, I apologize in advance.

his is told from several POVs so I hope it doesn't confuse you too much. This chapter has been beta-ed by Violent-Flames. Thank you so much for being my beta and taking the time. Reviews would be greatly appreciated.

* * *

><p><strong>Chaos Theory<strong>

**Chapter One:  
><strong>

Chaos Theory:

_The branch of mathematics that deals with complex systems whose behavior is highly sensitive to slight changes in conditions, so that small alterations can give rise to strikingly great consequences._

Fangs pierced the soft, smooth skin. The body beneath her writhed in pain and a soft choked gasp escaped pale lips. The smell of sweat and blood hung heavy in the air as the human body beneath her arched and hands grasped at her shoulders. Amelia tried not to moan in pleasure as she savoured the strong, hot blood as it pumped into her mouth and down her throat. It had been a long time since she had tasted fresh blood. She continued to swallow greedily, until Trinity's grip around her became weaker, her heartbeat slower. Pulling back slightly she licked her lips and peered down at the pale young woman, taking in her heavy, slow breathing and blood soaked shirt.

Trinity's eyes were half closed. Her vision blurred and she could barely make out the dark red of her own blood, covering Amelia's lips above hers. Trinity's eyelids suddenly felt too heavy to remain open and slid shut as the cold and the darkness crept in, surrounding and then engulfing her. It dragged her down into an endless pit of blackness, weighing her down until she couldn't breathe. In the distance she could voices whispering her name and she struggled to reach out, trying to pull herself from the infinite abyss she was being dragged into.

A bright light immersed her and a cry of surprise escaped as she was sucked in. Blinking several times, her blue eyes darted around the familiar looking run down lab and a sense of apprehension and bewilderment flooded her.

"Hello?" Trinity called out softly as her ears picked up the melodious symphony of Beethoven. Hesitating, she glanced around her lab before slowly moving towards the source of music. Stepping past her workstation, blue eyes landed on a familiar figure standing by her favorite plant. "Gabe?"

The black man turned around and a smile was touching his lips. The blonde felt her breath catch at the sight. A magnificent smile graced her features as she rushed forward and wrapped him in a tight hug, unable to believe that he was here before her, in her very arms. "Trinity," Gabe breathed, closing his eyes as his best friend drew him in for a tight hug.

He couldn't help but chuckle as Trinity stepped back and slugged him in the arm, and watched somewhat amusingly as the blonde clutched her "injured" hand. Rubbing his arm, he looked at her. "I guess I deserved that."

"Deserved that? You deserve more that…You left! You left _us_! You left _me_!" Trinity replied angrily, her finger pushing against his chest as each word left her mouth.

"I'm sorry."

"You promised you wouldn't leave," she said lowering her voice as she stared up into those familiar brown eyes and Gabe could see the blonde's heart breaking right in front of him.

"I know. I never wanted to go-"

"But you did, you left…" Trinity said, stepping away from him as tears threatened to spill. Suddenly she felt anger and resentment, blaming Gabe for not fighting hard enough. For not fighting to stay with them, with _her_. She had lost everyone she had ever loved.

"I was so mad w-when you left…It hurt so badly," the blonde sobbed and Gabe drew her in, hugging her tightly, feeling his own tears threatening to fall. The pent up hurt and anger pushed through like a dam breaking, and Trinity sobbed. Her heart ached at the loss.

"I never left Trinity," the black man softly assured and reached out to comfort his best friend, wiping away the fallen tears, "I'll always be here, watching you. Nothing will ever change that."

The blonde sniffed and wiped away a few stray tears, her brows creasing as she pulled away from him, confusion suddenly spreading across her face. "W-Where am I? The lab was destroyed during the attack…"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was…at the mansion…I remember gunshots and then…the garage and…something attacked us…Amelia," Trinity drifted off with a faraway look in her eyes and Gabe waited patiently for her mind to catch up. "Amelia…she…"

"She's given you the choice of life instead of death. Here, where we are…this is just the in between. Time does not matter here," Gabriel looked around and smiled somewhat sadly at her. "The only thing that matters is you."

"What's going to happen to me?"

"That's up to you."

"What if I don't come out of it? What if I don't wake up?" Blue eyes widened in fear. She knew even in the haze of it all that there was a chance that she wouldn't be able to sustain the virus.

"You say that as if you don't have a choice. You can choose to fight… to beat the odds…it's up to you," Gabe said, reaching out and squeezing her hand, trying to give her the courage she so desperately wanted.

"Can I stay here, with you?" Trinity longingly asked, not wanting to leave the comfort of the place around her.

"That's a choice too. But you have a life that's waiting for you, there are people who love you and depend on you. Your time's not up yet Trin," Gabe softly answered pressing a lingering kiss on her head. "You can't stay here and deep down you know that."

"I-I don't want to leave you," the blonde replied ducking her head and swallowing thickly as she tried to hold back the sob that threatened to escape. Gentle fingers reached out and tilted her head back up to meet caring brown orbs.

"It's okay Trinity. I'll still be here waiting for you, I promise, you will see me again when it's time."

* * *

><p><em>Though I cannot predict the future, the consequences of tonight will reverberate through the halls f both great covens for many years to come. One vampire elder has been slain by my own hand. Soon Marcus will take the throne. And a tide of anger and retribution will spill out into the night. Differences will be set aside. Allegiances will be made and soon, I will become the hunted.<br>_

The distant sounds of gunfire could still be heard as the bedraggled group made their way through the underground tunnels. Sharp grey eyes focused ahead, flickering back and forth through the shadows, waiting to catch sight of any enemies. Jonathan spared a glance over his shoulder at the others, taking in the wounded and worn looks of his team. And yet, as he looked at each of them, he couldn't help but see a small spark of hope and victory shining in their eyes. It had been a long night, a night filled with loss and death for all of them. Both sides would be counting their losses and Jonathan knew that there was more danger ahead now that both Viktor and Lucian had been slain.

Jonathan's gaze shifted and this time it focused on the back of the vampire ahead of him. She had slain her Sire, the man whom she looked up to as a father, and a man she loved like her father. The betrayal had cut deeply, and yet as she stood over Viktor's body, Jonathan saw the weight of the world lift from her shoulders if only for a moment, before the reality of her actions hit her. He could see the warring emotions – the fear, the anger and hope staring back at him as he gazed into dark orbs. Selene had risked everything to get Michael back safely, risked everything to keep them safe. She had ultimately chosen her side and there was no turning back… for any of them.

"They're leaving us alone," Michael murmured as he looked around the tunnels uneasily.

He had expected to be met with some resistance from the lycans and vampires, yet so far they had been left relatively alone. Flexing his fingers, Michael couldn't help but feel the enormous amounts of power that was now coursing through his body nor could he forget the painful way his body had transformed after being bitten by Selene. He didn't understand what was happening to him, but what he did know was that he was no longer human. He was aware of everything around him, he could see the tiniest details that he knew he shouldn't be able to see or hear or smell. Whatever he was, Michael knew that he was now in more danger than he was before.

Glancing around the dark tunnels, his eyes gravitated towards the vampire, and couldn't help but feel a strange pull towards her. He had felt the exact same pull after Lucian had bitten him. Frustration mounted inside him as he struggled to piece together the bits of information, trying to understand the strange world around him.

A gently, calming hand touched his arm, causing him to tear his gaze away from Selene and he found himself staring into concerned yet anxious hazel eyes. Melinda. A sense of guilt hit him at the thought dragging her in a world filled with uncertainty and violence. Yet as he stared into her eyes, he could see the love shining through. It wrapped around him and filling him with warmth - the familiarity of it grounded him.

"The lycans are…for now," Leo replied, green eyes flickering across to the Death Dealer. The elephant in the room was now becoming more and more obvious and Leo knew that someone had to ask the question. "What are the chances we'll make it to the mansion without any trouble?"

Selene spared a glance over her shoulder and for the first time Leo saw a glimmer of human emotion. Dark eyes shone with uncertainty, that very same question had been plaguing her own mind, "I don't know. Amelia had promised safe passage, but with…Viktor's death that may change. You won't be the only ones the Death Dealers will be hunting tonight."

"Alright, let's keep moving. The quicker we get out of here, the quicker we get to Ordoghaz. We grab Trinity and get the hell out of there," Jonathan instructed, not wanting to stay down in the tunnels for longer than necessary.

If Viktor had turned on them as he had suspected and without Amelia's knowledge, then he knew that the remaining Death Dealers were now acting on the fallen elder. They were now going to be targeted, and with the Lycans likely looking for revenge, Jonathan knew that they were now stuck in the middle. Moving forward, Jonathan led the group down the tunnel, intent to put some distance between the war and his team.

"Is this the exit?" Jamie asked looking up at the ladder critically and then down at his injured leg.

"Danny, Leo scout ahead, I want to make sure we're not running into trouble," Jonathan ordered and the two quickly began climbing up the ladder.

It didn't take long before Danny peered down at them, giving them the all clear. The tunnel and ladder had led them to exit in the middle of the city in the dead of night. Selene knew that it would take another twenty minutes, if they were lucky enough, to reach the mansion. Breathing in the fresh air, dark eyes roamed the empty streets as she tried to slow the thoughts in her mind.

For six centuries she had been nothing but a loyal soldier of the vampire clan, and in one night everything she had known about the world around her was shattered. In one night, she had uncovered the lies and secrets of a man whom she loved as a father. The vampires being united by a lie and then the secret alliance between Kraven and Lucian now threatened to destroy two great covens. And with Viktor's death, by her own hand, Selene knew that her allegiance had shifted to a group of renegade soldiers and Michael, a descendent of Corvinus. He was neither vampire nor lycan but a hybrid and she knew that it was only a matter of time before Amelia and the remaining council knew every detail of the confrontation in the tunnels.

Time is against her and as the last of the group climbed out, Selene was already making her way across to the closest vehicle. There was no telling what Kraven would do. He was a man with nothing left to lose but everything to gain. But he was not the only thing she was concerned about. There was still Jonathan and his team, in particular both Michael and Trinity - the latter weighing heavily on her mind. Without hesitating, Selene drew her weapon and fired at the passenger window.

"Jesus, are you trying to draw attention?" Jamie hissed glaring at the vampire before his eyes darted around the dark empty streets of the city. After the night they had endured, his nerves were more than frayed.

Ignoring him, Selene reached in and unlocked the door before pulling it open and climbing into the driver's seat, already working on hot-wiring the vehicle. "We don't have time to sit around."

"Well, we're not all going to fit in _that_," Danny murmured as he stared at the red sedan sceptically.

* * *

><p>Jasper paced back and forth on the clean, polished floors of the Ziodex research facility, one of the many branches located around the world. It was the official and legitimate business front of the coven, producing cloned blood to sustain their existence and weapons for that same purpose. It was one of the advanced bioengineering research companies in the world. The events of the past two nights replayed over and over in his mind as he paced back and forth. The loss of his brother was still fresh in his mind and retribution burned deeply in his soul, as he wished he were out there searching for the man responsible for his death.<p>

And yet, as he paced, his mind drifted to the unconscious blonde human who had not only captured the attention of his Elder but also a certain Death Dealer. During that short time, Jasper had grown to trust Trinity, and the more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that there was a small part of him that was rather fond of her. She was different from the others and that fact had been evident when she worked tirelessly to revive Amelia back to full strength.

The betrayal of Kraven had left the coven buckling at its knees, leaving it vulnerable to any attack and, that much was proven by the winged beast at the mansion. Anxiety and fear began to eat away at him as the night wore on. Selene was going to kill him with her bare hands when she discovered that Trinity had been critically injured and on the verge of death, only to have Amelia bite her. Jasper didn't even want to think about what Jamie and the others would do once the news reached their ears. He had been in charge of keeping her safe and he had failed. The guilt crept in and a sudden helplessness crawled up at him. If he couldn't even look after Trinity, how was he ever going be a Death Dealer?

"This is not good," Jasper muttered, running a hand through his hair, "This is _not_ good."

The frantic drive to the research facility was all but a blur to the young vampire. Adam had made the decision on the destination, knowing that the safe houses didn't have the proper equipment to deal with Trinity and her injury nor the security he needed to make sure that they were safe until reinforcements arrived. Having more than a dozen armed men patrolling the perimeters had at least eased part of his worries. As a precaution, Adam had ordered to have security patrolling every floor, wanting to make sure that whatever winged beast that had attacked them at the mansion would not be getting into the building.

He didn't want to think about the consequences of Amelia biting Trinity. It wasn't his place. And despite whatever feelings Selene had for the blonde, she was going to have to accept that Trinity was now Amelia's childe. Adam could still smell the blood and the sweat as Amelia frantically struggled to keep the blonde from dying in the backseat of the car.

"Adam, security has been tightened and patrols are occurring both along the perimeter and on every floor in the building," a thick, chestnut haired vampire by the name of Ewan Holstein, informed the Death Dealer.

"And security cameras are all functioning?" Adam asked turning his attention away from the pacing to face the young vampire.

"Nothing will be able to get in or out without us knowing," Ewan replied, his green eyes moving down the hallway towards the guardroom where Amelia and several doctors where.

Adam regarded the other vampire for a moment. Despite what his title said, Adam knew that Selene was really Kahn's second in charge and if anything, he was Selene's second in charge. Being in the position he was, he had on occasion visited the Ziodex research facility in Budapest for security reasons and had even met Ewan Holstein on those occasions. He was the director of the Budapest research facility during the night, and as far as Adam knew, was handed picked for the job by Amelia herself.

Each of the facilities directors had been selected by the Council, and with their recommendations, the Elders handpicked each one from the short list. The process was long and from what Adam could tell, it involved a lot of politics.

"You were handed picked by Amelia for this job were you not?"

"Yes."

"And your loyalties have always been to the coven?"

"I'm not quite sure I understand…"

"Kraven has betrayed us to the lycans," Jasper's raspy voice cut into the conversation, stopping mid way through his pacing to stare at the older vampire, "He made a secret allegiance with Lucian. He's been alive for the past six centuries."

Ewan exhaled deeply as his mind began to piece the bits of information together. The sudden unexpected appearance of a worried and concerned Amelia covered in blood, had at first startled him. However, it was the unconscious barely alive human, with a fresh bite mark that had caught his attention, and immediately called for the doctors. Ewan was perhaps, more than relieved to see that Amelia had been unharmed. He knew that Marcus had been due to be Awakened sometime tonight, and he had been expecting a visit from the Elder in the coming days after the Awakening.

"Are you questioning my loyalty?"

"At this point in time, I don't care whether I'm offending you or not. My primary concern is Amelia," Adam replied as his dark eyes bored into the green orbs of the older vampire.

"As is mine. My loyalty has always been to Amelia, nothing will change that," the chestnut haired director answered, green eyes hardening.

* * *

><p>Amelia stared down at the unconscious blonde as her ears strained to hear the faint beating of her heart. Uneasiness filled her mind, as the anxious wait for Trinity to wake began to take its toll. She had never turned anyone, she had never found anyone worthy and she found the whole process new and rather daunting. Ewan had informed her that it might be hours before she woke. Hours that Amelia didn't think she had, especially with the mansion now massacred by a winged beast and the remaining Death Dealers in the tunnels battling the lycans.<p>

Pale fingers reached out, brushing loose strands of hair away from Trinity's pale face, before gently tracing the bite mark. Dark eyes moved down to the blood stained bandages that wrapped around the blonde's torso. The deep, gaping wound she had suffered from the hands of the winged creature was slowly healing, and Amelia knew from experience that Trinity would be very weak once she woke up.

The thought of turning Trinity had crossed her mind on more than one occasion. It had been an idea, an after-thought, something she'd consider if the opportunity arose. Amelia was not like Viktor, she didn't have an heir or a childe. Trinity was after all, unique and there were perhaps qualities in her that Amelia saw in herself once (before she was turned). It was what drew Amelia to her and perhaps, there was a selfish part of her that wanted to fill the loneliness that she saw shining brightly in her blue orbs, to love and nurture her like her own.

Darkness plagued her world as Trinity struggled to pull herself to the surface. Her senses were beginning to awaken as she drew closer; the rich scent of perfume collided and tangled with the scents of sterility and disinfectants. Her skin tingled at the feel of cool fingers grazing against her neck that caused her to shiver. It was enough to pull her towards the dim light. Eyelids fluttered and she gasped, her body was too sensitive and hyperaware of everything around her.

Something was different. Something wasn't right. She could feel it as the cool fingers drew back and she opened her eyes, looking around wildly at the unfamiliar room. A calming hand rested on her shoulder, urging her to relax and she glanced up to meet a pair of dark orbs.

"It's okay. You're safe," Amelia informed staring down at the bewildered and confused blonde.

"W-What happened to me?" Trinity managed to ask, voice scratchy from being unused.

"You don't remember?" Amelia tilted her head and regarded the newly turned vampire, watching as the gears in her brilliant mind slowly began to turn and piece together the events of the hours past.

The blonde pushed away from Amelia's touch, struggling to get away, wanting some distance as her mind played catch up. A small jolt of pain surged through her body at the sudden movement, her hands quickly moving across to her torso, fingers immediately feeling the bandages. The world around her began to spin, her ears pounded as she was assaulted with noises. She could hear everything - from the soft pacing footsteps just outside the room to the soft beeping of machines on the floor above her. Her eyes could see every detail of the walls around her, every minute detail that she was sure she couldn't possibly be able to see, yet there it all was. Her body was buzzing with energy she didn't know she could possess.

"W-What…Make it stop," Trinity gasped, desperately wanting everything to stop spinning and for the pounding to stop. She didn't think her mind could take it anymore.

"You need to relax Trinity," Amelia instructed, knowing that her senses were going into overdrive.

Trinity squeezed her eyes shut and bit down on her lower lip, only to feel a sharp pain as she accidentally pierced through skin and drew blood. Snapping her eyes open, she choked back a cry as her tongue ran along the newly elongated fangs.

"Oh god… What have you done to me?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the original characters that I have created.

**Rating:** M for violence and swearing and sexual references (in the future)

**Author's Note:** I do apologize for the very, very long wait. Real life seemed to have caught up with me for a while - been very busy with interviews and starting my internship at the hospital. I can't promise regular updates but will try my best. This story does include femslash, so if it does offend you, I apologize in advance.

This is told from several POVs so I hope it doesn't confuse you too much. This chapter has been beta-ed by Violent-Flames. Thank you so much for being my beta and taking the time. I hope the long wait has been worth it. Reviews would be greatly appreciated.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter two:<strong>

"_Oh god…what have you done to me?"_

Bewildered blue eyes stared accusingly at the dark brunette, silently waiting for the answer she already knew yet couldn't bring herself to acknowledge. Memories from the night slowly began to surface and push through the barrier her mind had created. It certainly didn't help to still taste the bitter, metallic liquid in her mouth or the elongated, sharp fangs. As Amelia reached out, the blonde couldn't help but flinch and in her attempt to back away, Trinity felt her world tilt on its axis. Strong, cool hands grasped her arms firmly before she could topple over the edge of the bed

Everything seemed to happen in a blur. One moment Trinity was sitting before her with a look of horror and accusation and the next she was toppling over the side of the bed. Amelia silently thanked her reflexes as she managed to grab hold of the newly turned vampire before she left a face print on the white floors of the medical infirmary.

"Just breathe Trinity," Amelia gently instructed through the haze as the blonde struggled to regain control.

In the distance Trinity could hear the same gentle voice call out in panic, the words bouncing harshly off the walls of her mind, and the sound of footsteps echoed loudly causing her to wince. She silently pleaded for it to stop before panic began to take hold of her as several hands grabbed onto her.

"N-No! Amelia!"

"Easy now! You're okay. We're not here to hurt you. Just take a deep breath, in and out," a deep, soothing voice instructed the blonde, choosing to ignore the sudden fear that gripped him as the doctor heard Amelia growl lowly at him for taking the newly turned vampire away from her grasp. He turned and addressed the nurse quietly, "I'm going to need some blood."

Dr. Walsh glanced across his shoulder noticing that Amelia was hovering nearby like a worried parent, and turned his gaze to the other three occupants that had all rushed into the room upon hearing Amelia's alarmed cry for help. His gaze turned back to the newly turned vampire, noting that the wild and frantic look had all but disappeared upon realizing that Amelia had not left her side.

"My Lady, perhaps you'd like to wait outside," Ewan suggested and earned a glare from the Elder. He swallowed and smiled weakly, "I'm sure the erhm...Trinity would like some privacy whilst Dr. Walsh examines her."

"She looks perfectly fine to me," Jasper replied crossing his arms with the clear intent of not leaving, a sentiment that Amelia herself seemed to agree with. However, before Jasper could continue on, Adam reached out and slapped him on the back of the head causing him to hiss in pain. Glaring at the older vampire, Jasper turned and cleared his throat, "What I mean to say is that I agree with Adam, Amelia."

Amelia huffed, clearly not wanting to leave Trinity alone especially not after tonight's events. Dr. Walsh couldn't help but smile slightly as he watched the Elder battle internally before finally relenting even though, reluctantly. She was like a new mother fussing over her new born - too worried that something would happen if she took her eyes off of her.

"We'll be right outside," Amelia stated, her dark eyes swirling with silent threats should any harm come to Trinity as she met Dr. Walsh's gaze. Her statement though, was more directed to Trinity before she stepped out of the infirmary.

Once outside the infirmary, Amelia stared at the door for a moment before turning away. Now that Trinity had awoken, her mind could begin to focus on the events that lead her to one of Ziodexs' research facilities. She had heard nothing from Viktor or from Jonathan or even Selene for that matter, and now that the mansion had been massacred by some winged beast, Amelia wasn't sure just how many had survived. The coven was now in a weakened state and she knew that sooner or later New York was going to demand answers she wasn't sure she had yet.

Questions flittered through her mind, swirling around and adding to the already growing list. Frustration was building from the lack of answers and her anger surged as she needed to place the blame on someone.

"Have you heard from Viktor?" Amelia asked dark eyes landing on Kahn's second-in-command.

"No."

"Kahn?"

"No."

"What about the humans? Jonathan?" Amelia asked frustration seeping through.

"No word from anyone," Adam replied hesitating for a moment before continuing, "Not even Selene my Lady."

"How many men can you spare Ewan?" Amelia turned, questioning the director. She needed answers and she was going to get them.

"I can give you at least ten."

"Adam, take the Ziodex guards with you and get back to the mansion. Find out if there are any survivors. Some may have managed to escape. I need you to locate Marcus' tomb. You are to protect it at all costs. Do you understand?"

"Of course my Lady."

"Jasper, I want to know how long before my Death Dealers arrive from New York," Amelia instructed turning to the young vampire. The coven was now facing an unknown enemy and she needed to prepare for the worse. "Contact Dmitry. Hopefully he managed to catch his flight before the mansion was hit."

* * *

><p>Silence surrounded the bedraggled group as they drove out of the city towards the mansion. Selene had been on edge ever since her fight with Viktor. She had done the unthinkable and now, now she didn't know what she was supposed to do or who to trust for that matter. But she knew that her first priority was to get to Trinity and get her as far away from the chaos as she could. Selene would not allow <em>this<em> war to taint her like it had tainted her.

Her foot pushed down on the accelerator and as they drove closer to the mansion, the Death Dealer couldn't help but feel uneasy. She stared out the window, trying to see the large building only to see smoke rising high into the night sky and it was then that she understood why her heart was tightly gripped by fear. Her foot slammed on the break and she couldn't help but feel breathless, almost as if someone had punched her and left her winded. Dark eyes stared at the destruction and the devastation of her home as it burned brightly in the night sky. Wild and untamed.

"Oh my God," Melinda gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she watched the building burn down. Her eyes filled with unshed tears hoping that the blonde had made it to safety before the fire had started.

"What..." Jamie gasped trying to comprehend what he was seeing, yet the only thought he had was of Trinity. They had left her here. _He_ had left her here. His stomach churned and he could feel panic begin to take over him. Throwing the door open, he jumped out of the van and ran towards the burning building as he called for his sister "Trinity!"

"Jamie!" Leo shouted as he scrambled after him. The sharp-shooter didn't have to look to know that Selene has already gone racing after Jamie. He could hear the agony of the young man as he bellowed his twin's name, desperate to find her.

"Trinity!" Jamie screamed hands behind his head as he stared desperately into the flames, trying to find a way to get in. Tears streamed down his cheeks and as he made a move forward, strong hands grabbed him back. Growling he struggled to break free, refusing to let whoever it was hold him back from his sister.

"Let me go!" He shouted, fighting against the strong hold of Leo. He swung violently and broke free, running back only to be tackled to the ground by Michael. "Get the fuck off of me! She's my sister! She's in there!"

"She's gone," Michael said trying frantically to reach the young man.

Rage flashed in his hazel eyes and Jamie spat angrily at him, "Don't you fucking say that! She's in there! You hear me? She's in there!"

"Jamie!" Melinda cried, grabbing the young man and cradling his head in her hands as she stared down in his heartbroken eyes. Sobbing, she blinked and allowed the tears to fall, all the while repeating, "She's gone. She's gone."

Dark eyes stared at the flames, watching as it licked and destroyed everything it touched. The flames crackled and flickered, radiating an intense heat that she wasn't used to feeling. The night sky was filled with violet shades of orange and yellow as smoke continued to fill the sky, casting dark, angry clouds above them. The smell of smoke and blood played havoc on her senses as she desperately searched for Trinity's unique scent.

Unshed tears glittered in her eyes as her heart silently broke into a thousand pieces at the thought of what she'd lost. It clenched painfully and a mixture of anger and regret swept through her. It wasn't supposed to end like this. Trinity was supposed to be safe from harm, from the darkness that had once taken over her own life. She hadn't belonged in this world and Selene had tried so very much to protect her from it. She gritted her teeth, refusing to allow the tears to fall. She couldn't accept this. She _wouldn't_. Her eyes flickered back and forth between dark brown and electric blue as she fought for control. She could feel it slipping through her fingers.

So, this is what it's like to have loved and lost she thought bitterly, wishing she had never allowed herself to feel such emotions. Feelings had clouded her judgement and when it came to Trinity, Selene knew that her world had tipped off its' axis. Turning away from the devastation, she clenched her jaw tightly holding the emotions that threatened to break free.

"We need to get out of here," Selene said quietly over the crackling of the flames, her voice devoid of any emotions.

She needed to gain back control. She needed to push her feelings as far away from her as possible and lock it in the deepest and darkest recesses of her mind. This was what she did best. Cold and hard.

Growling, Jamie glared furiously at her and pushed Melinda away from him as he stalked over to the vampire. Anger and betrayal flooded his body, hating the fact that his sister had fallen in love with a creature that couldn't show any emotion. "Where the fuck are we supposed to go? We've _lost_ everything! Gabe is dead. Trinity is dead! Tell me where?"

"Calm down," Danny said pushing Jamie away from the Death Dealer and trying to rein the younger man in before he did something he'd regret later on.

"Fuck you, Danny!"

"We can't stay here, we're going to be sitting ducks for the remaining Death Dealers," Jonathan reasoned, voice wavering with emotion as he turned away from the flames and stared at his broken family.

"This is _your_fault!" Jamie shouted furiously as he ignored Jonathan. He shoved Danny aside and pushed the vampire, anything to get her to react. He was looking for a fight, and deep down Jamie knew that if he pushed the right buttons, Selene would give him one.

"Why couldn't you just leave her alone? If you just left her alone, she wouldn't...she wouldn't be dead!"

"I was protecting her!" Selene snapped, her eyes immediately flashing blue and her fangs elongating, "_This_ is not my doing."

"I _trusted_ you! _She_ trusted you!"

"You think I had a hand in this? This was not done by the Coven-"

"If you loved her, you would have let her go!"

"I cared deeply for your sister, don't you _ever_ question that," Selene growled, beginning to feel her control slip as she grabbed him by the shirt front. She had never cared for anyone like she cared for Trinity and to have Jamie question her feelings, caused a surge of emotions to rush forward. Dark eyes flickered to their unnatural blue and she couldn't help but feel a small tickle of satisfaction at the fear that radiated off of the human.

"You don't know anything about _love_," he snarled earning an angry hiss from the vampire, knowing that he had hit a nerve.

Without any warning, Selene took a swing at him, fist colliding hard against the side of his face. Jamie grunted in pain, a feeling he welcomed before he tackled the vampire to the ground. He managed to throw a punch in before the vampire managed to gain the upper hand, kneeing him hard in the gut. Winded Jamie gasped in pain as two pairs of hands pulled him off of the vampire before she could beat him into a bloody and unrecognisable mess.

"Bloody hell! Get them away from each before they kill one another!" Jonathan shouted managing to pull Jaime away with Leo's help. He couldn't help but wince at the sight of the twin's face. He had a busted lip and he could barely open his right eye. Blood trickled out from the side of his mouth and Jamie turned his head to spit.

"I think he sustained some broken ribs," Melinda murmured reaching out to take her father's place beside the twin.

"Fucking hell..." Jamie silently cursed and glared across at the Death Dealer and for the first time he hated the fact that she was immortal. He had managed to throw in a few good hits, but the vampire seemed to show no evidence of being in a brawl.

Furious, Selene shrugged Michael off of her and glowered at Jamie. She was seething inside and at the same time, she felt lost and broken. Nothing compared to the very thought, the very idea of losing someone who meant the world to you, someone who you loved and would give everything and anything to keep them safe and protected.

Did she love Trinity?

She still didn't have an answer to that or perhaps she refused to let herself analyze her feelings for what they really were. She wasn't one who liked to talk about her feelings or knew how to express them. Instead, she always hid them, buried them behind a thousand yards of stone. So thick that it was impossible for anyone to get through.

Except for Trinity - The shy and socially awkward girl, with a mind that was as sharp as a knife. When it came to Trinity, Selene felt so out of control that she was almost desperate to do anything to gain it back. Nobody in the entire world past, present or future could do that to her. She flipped the world she knew upside down with complete disregard to everything and anything. And now…now she was gone and Selene didn't know what to do or feel. It left her feeling broken and lost. And she hated it.

"Have you two finished beating the crap out of each other?" Jonathan exclaimed as he regarded the pair furiously, chiding them like children. He ran a tired hand over his buzz cut, feeling exhausted and heartbroken. "We're all hurting! We're all feeling _this_ pain! Pull yourselves together."

There was a moment of silence before Rusty cleared his throat, eyes shining brightly with tears, "What do we do now?"

"We keep moving. I know a place we can use," Selene revealed, still showing no hint of being involved in a brawl or that she had lost someone dear to her. Her eyes stared coldly at them all and Rusty couldn't help but wonder what it was that Trinity had seen in the vampire. He couldn't help but shiver at her icy demeanor.

Perhaps Jamie was right, was Selene even capable of love?

* * *

><p>Adam checked the magazine, silently counting each bullet before reinserting it back into his gun. There was no telling what they'd come up against when they returned to the mansion. He hoped that the creature had gotten bored and decided to leave, although he had a feeling that it wouldn't. Whatever it was, it had been hungry and lusting for blood. Glancing around at the team Ewan had provided, Adam couldn't help but sense their apprehension and he pressed his lips together, unsure of what to say.<p>

"Sir, we're about two miles from the mansion," the driver informed glancing in the rear-view mirror and received a nod from the Death Dealer.

"Alright, let's keep this simple. This is a search and rescue operation. We cover each floor and each room – and work our way up. We're assuming whatever creature that attacked us is still there, so eyes and ears sharp. We make sure that Marcus is protected and safe. Any survivors are to be taken back to the facility. Understood?"

"Yes sir," came the reply as the two vans slowly came to a stop.

The doors to the black vans were thrown open as the team stepped out. As they began to spread out and periodically sweep the perimeter, Adam couldn't help but suddenly feel uneasy. Something wasn't right. Moving closer to the mansion, he began to understand why. Viktor's mansion, the one that once stood proudly was now destroyed and burned down, leaving nothing but ruins behind.

"What the hell happened here?" one of the Ziodex guards questioned in bewilderment, clearly having not seen anything like this before in his life.

"I don't know," Adam murmured, gripping his weapon tighter as he took in his destroyed home.

"H-How could anyone survive this?"

"Take three with you. Find any survivors, the others are with me," Adam instructed.

The heat from the fire could still be felt as they made their way through the fire ravaged mansion, stepping over charred furniture and mutilated corpses of the Budapest Coven. The Death Dealer couldn't help but feel violated – this had been his home for over a century and to have some…creature enter and destroy it angered him.

It was almost an impossible task to get to the Elder's resting place. The walls and the roof had caved in under the pressure and destruction, making it difficult for Adam and his team.

Slowly moving over and under the debris Adam moved to the controls and activated the doors to the throne room. Nodding to the guards, they raised their weapons as the doors slowly began to open only to stop half way. Growling Adam slammed his fist onto the controls in frustration.

"Let's move quickly, there's no telling how long this place is going to stand," Adam commanded as the ground shook and bits of plaster and dust began to rain down from above them.

A strong scent of blood lingered in the air, causing Adam to pause momentarily. His brows creased and his eyes widened as he realized why. There on the cold floors of the throne room were mutilated bodies of Death Dealers and Kraven's men, scattered in pieces. It was like a battle field. Blood stained what was left of the walls and floors. But it was the sight of Marcus's' empty coffin that caused him to be breathless.

"Shit," he muttered. Amelia was going to be absolutely furious when she found out. Running a hand through his hair, he looked around at the bodies, trying to identify them. A familiar body caught his eyes and he slowly made his way over, gently kicking it in an attempt to turn it over.

"I think this belongs to the body," a guard said, pointing to the severed head. A small smirk touched the Death Dealer's lips. At least they didn't have to worry about Kraven, although Jasper was going to be more than annoyed that someone had gotten to the traitor before he did.

"Sir?" a voice came through the ear piece. "We've found some tire tracks at least ten meters away from the mansion and some blood."

"Alright, we're coming out," Adam replied and hesitated for moment before asking, "Any survivors?"

"No sir."

* * *

><p>Amelia looked up to see a disgruntled Dr. Walsh step out of the infirmary, clutching a bag of blood in his hands. He did not look happy or impressed as he closed the door firmly, all the while muttering under his breath. Her ears picked up on 'patient', 'impossible' and 'frustrating vampire'.<p>

"Is there a problem Dr. Walsh?"

He stared at the elder for a moment, knowing that it wasn't his place to question her decision to turn the young blonde or not. He didn't think he'd live to see the sunrise if he did. All he could do was hope that she had made the correct decision.

"Everything seems to be in good order - however she's…refusing to feed, my Lady. It's important that she does and soon, before her cravings become too hard to handle. She's…not listening to me, but perhaps you'll have better luck," Dr. Walsh explained looking meaningfully at her.

There was always a bond between the Sire and childe and he had no doubt that this bond was strong between the Elder and the blonde. Handing her the bag of blood, he gave her a small encouraging smile and whispered, "Good luck."

Holding the bag of blood in her hand, the Elder stared at it, not sure how to proceed. She was used to commanding others to do her bidding but Trinity wasn't like the others and she refused to let herself think that she was. No, Trinity was not like the others at all. Of all the people she could have sired, she had chosen Trinity because she was different in many ways. She would not let anything or anyone harm her and like a mother, she would guide her through this and show her how wonderful her new life could be.

With that in mind, she entered the room, dark eyes already searching and finding her childe. Blue orbs stared back at her, shining in confusion and apprehension. Holding the bag of blood out, Amelia simply waited for the blonde to take it only for blue eyes to harden.

"I'm _not_ drinking that," she whispered looking away and swallowing down the hunger and disgust. She didn't want to drink it - in fact she downright refused to. She would not allow herself to become a monster.

"If you don't drink this, your hunger will not be quashed. You will be a danger to all those you've sworn to protect. All those innocent people…their deaths will be on your hands. Drink this," Amelia softly urged, watching as the blonde flinched and moved away from her.

"I _can't_…I don't…I don't want to be a monster."

Amelia hissed and reached out grabbing hold of Trinity's hands, "You are not a monster. Drinking this? Does not make you a monster. It is synthetic blood. You of all people know that feeding from humans is forbidden."

Trinity whined and looked away, knowing that everything the Elder was saying was true. "Why did you turn me?"

The question had nagged and chewed away at her as she tried to understand the sudden change her life had taken. Her mind was still struggling to comprehend that she had been so close to death, only to be pulled back and given a new life as a creature she had sworn to protect others from.

"You were dying and I could not accept that…I refuse to accept that," Amelia firmly stated before softening, "You saved my life once despite knowing exactly what I am."

"So you did it because…you were indebted to me?" the blonde asked, eyebrow arching in disbelief before she looked aghast and lost, like a child who didn't understand why the leaves turned brown in autumn."I-I didn't ask for this. I don't think I want it."

The rejection almost broke Amelia's heart and she struggled to understand the raging emotions inside her. It hurt the Elder to think that Trinity believed that she was indebted to her. She had chosen her because they had a connection, because there was no one else like her out there, because Amelia _knew_ what it was like to be lonely in a world that was filled with people. But mostly because Amelia wanted to protect and love her, like the mother Trinity never had.

"I turned you because you're different from others. I could have chosen anyone but I chose you. You are my only childe and you will be my only childe. I do not wish to sire another nor do I have the intentions to do so," Amelia quietly explained staring into blue orbs, trying to make her understand. "I know how lonely the world can be despite being constantly surrounded by people, to not have a mother…who loves you…I don't want you to feel that anymore. Immortality is a gift and one that I'm glad to give to you. I will teach so many things and show you how wonderful life can be. I will protect you from anyone and anything. You'll never be alone."

Drawing a hand back, the Elder grasped the bag of blood and held it out to the blonde. It hurt to see the fear shining in her blue eyes and gently, she brushed loose strands of hair away from her face, in hopes of quelling it. "You can never be a monster, not in my eyes."

Swallowing thickly, Trinity stared at the Elder with apprehension and her eyes dropped down to the offered bag of blood with hesitation. She knew that everything Amelia had said was true and she knew that she would never hurt or lie to her. With shaking hands the blonde took the bag and stared at it for a moment, and slowly looked up in acceptance.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the original characters that I have created.

**Rating:** M for violence and swearing and sexual references (in the future)

**Author's Note:** I do apologize for the very, very long wait. Real life seemed to have caught up with me for a while - been very busy with my internship. As a result I haven't been able to write regularly as I want. But alas, I now find myself with time, however can't promise regular updates but will try my best. On another note, it's quite a long chapter so I hope I've made up a little for my absence.

This story does include femslash, so if it does offend you, I apologize in advance.

This is told from several POVs so I hope it doesn't confuse you too much. This chapter has been beta-ed by Violent-Flames. Thank you so much for being my beta and taking the time. I hope the long wait has been worth it. Thank-you for all those who have patiently waited and stuck by.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter three:<strong>

A dark van drove down the deserted country side roads. The city was far behind them as they searched for a safe haven – a place where they could rest and care for the injured. The bedraggled and exhausted group sat silently, lost in their own thoughts as the vampire drove them to their destination. The van came to a sudden stop, drawing everyone's attention. Curiously, Leo's sharp green eyes peered out of the tinted windows, eyeing the country side and taking note that they were now on the edge of a forest.

"There's a safe house not too far from here…about 10 minutes, but we're going to have to make it by foot," Selene informed them, reversing and parking the van on the side of the road. "Gather what you need, I doubt we'll be coming back."

Silently the vampire led them through the dark forest. The only light was from the moon and the small torches they all carried on their firearms. Despite the limited light, the Death Dealer moved with the thick forest, brushing aside branches until there was a small clearing. Stopping, she looked around before carefully climbing down the large boulders. Dark eyes darted around, looking for any sign of a threat before waving her hand up for the others to follow her down. Hidden between two large boulders was a heavy steel door.

Pale fingers reached out to touch the boulder, brows creasing as she tried to find the artificial button. Her fingers suddenly sunk in and dark eyes scanned the door to find the revealed security panel.

"Impressive," Rusty softly whistled, taken somewhat by surprise at the high level of security the vampires employed at both the safe house and the mansion.

Choosing to ignore him, Selene punched her security code in, hoping that Kraven hadn't had time to disable her own pass code. There was a soft click and the vampire exhaled deeply, somewhat relieved as she nodded to Jonathan to open the door. Stepping through the threshold, they failed to notice the sensors hidden in the walls.

"So, how safe are we here?" Danny couldn't help but ask as his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness. Beside him, Leo moved his miniature torch around, scanning the small open corridor.

"We have numerous safe houses in and around the city. We're safe enough for now," Selene replied already making her way down the stairs. She glanced down at Leo's torch, "You won't be needing that."

"How deep does this go?" Jonathan asked.

"At least two meters underground," Selene said as the corridor began to light itself up much to their surprise. "And we've got at least one thousand square feet to play with."

Jonathan realized that the corridor opened up into a rather spacious area. The underground safe house was divided into two separate areas by a man-made main wall that turned into an archway, leading from one room to the next.

Three monitors were set up in the far corner, displaying the safe house and its' surroundings. Along one of the walls was a large security cage that housed countless weapons of all shapes and sizes which caused Rusty to drool at the sight. Stainless steel tables were set up nearby containing various weapons – some covered in blood and others not. A surgical table could be seen through the archway and above the tables were rows of shelves housing various medical equipment and items. There was a large fridge nearby and Jonathan didn't have to guess to know what was inside.

"Hot damn," the ex-arms dealer murmured as his eyes widened at the sight of the various weapons and wondered briefly whether he would get the chance to play with them. It was a gun-lover's heaven.

"We're going to need to set up watch," Jonathan murmured glancing around at the tired faces. "We'll divide it into six hour shifts. Selene and I will take first watch, the rest of you – patch up and get some rest."

Jamie shoved past the vampire and limped towards the medical supplies, still seething over the incident at the mansion. Danny sighed and followed behind wanting to at least make sure that the young man didn't damage his leg any further. Besides, he was pretty sure Selene had given the twin a few broken ribs during their scuffle.

"Michael," Selene called out to the newly turned immortal, managing to catch his attention before she moved into the next room, silently asking him to follow her. Making her way to the fridge, she pulled out two bags of blood and handed one to him, "You need to feed."

"What?" He stared at her in bewilderment and disgust, holding it out for her take back. He had no intention of drinking the blood.

"You depend on blood now and you need to feed. Without it you'll be growing weaker by the second. You're unique; there's never been a Hybrid before. And however ambivalent you might feel about it, the truth is that your powers could be limitless," the dark brunette quietly explained.

"Jesus Christ," Michael muttered dropping the bag onto the table and running a hand through his semi-dry hair.

His mind was racing a mile a second, trying desperately to keep up with what the vampire was saying. He had no idea what he was – no longer human, yet he was neither vampire nor lycan. An Abomination. That was what Viktor had called him.

He glanced down at the bag of blood and felt his insides churn with hunger and yet he felt as if he was going to throw up at the first taste. "And what if I don't? What if I _can't_?"

"Normal food could be lethal, if you don't anticipate your cravings you will attack humans," Selene quietly said, glancing over his shoulder to look at the others whom had become their allies and friends. Michael followed her gaze and felt his breath catch when it landed on Melinda. Terror and disgust filled him at the very idea of hurting the brunette. He would never be able to forgive himself. He swallowed thickly and turned back to the vampire.

"And believe me; you don't want that on your conscience. There really is no going back, Michael. I'm sorry."

Nodding his head he exhaled deeply, "Look I understand what you did. I'm grateful you saved my life." He glanced over his shoulder again and stared at Melinda, watching as she carefully stitched Rusty's wound closed and taking in her subtle beauty. "I wasn't ready to die. But everything has changed now. I just…I just need a minute to make it all fit into my head. It's a lot to process all at once."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Selene murmured softly but resolutely, wishing there were other options other than turning him in order to save his life. She began to walk away but paused by the archway, letting her gaze wander over to the brunette doctor before looking back at him, "Is she worth losing Michael?"

* * *

><p><em>Thump…thump…thump.<em>

The steady rhythmic heartbeats infiltrated Selene's mind as she silently leaned against the far wall, lost in thought. It hadn't taken long for the group to settle down for the night after Danny and Melinda had patched the injured. The silence was a welcoming entity as she tried to sort through her own thoughts and emotions. It had never been like this before. In all her years as a disciplined soldier, she had never had trouble controlling her emotions. It was all about control and somewhere along the way Selene had lost it, and the very idea of losing control frightened her.

Closing her eyes for the briefest of moments, Selene allowed her mind to drift and let her thoughts flood and invade her. Like a moth to the flame, her thoughts circled around Trinity. Cracks in Selene's armor that surrounded and guarded her heart were already beginning to show and the very cause of this was a_mere_ mortal. The very idea astounded her and left her feeling, for the very first time in her life, at a lost as what to do. Anger rippled through her, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. It was a familiar feeling. One she often found comfort in. The slow burn of regret seeped through the small cracks, reminding her constantly of the nights' events.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. This wasn't the ending Selene had pictured. But then again, Jonathan had warned her. He had told her that things would end badly and yet she had refused to listen – refused to heed his warning. She had believed that she could protect her from the darkness that threatened to take over her world. Her world was filled with violence and death; it was a world where Trinity did not belong. Selene had tried so hard and she knew that she wasn't the only one. Jasper and Trinity seemed to have formed some sort of bond during his time at the warehouse, and she knew that he wouldn't allow any harm to come to her. And then there was Amelia. There was no doubt in the Death Dealer's mind that the blonde had captured the Elder's attention. She had seen the way Amelia looked at Trinity, like a mother watching of her child, protecting it from the dangers of the world she knew all too well.

What had destroyed the mansion?

Snapping her eyes open, Selene blinked several times, trying to piece together the events. None of it made any sense. Neither Jasper nor Amelia would allow for any harm to come to Trinity or the coven. The lycans couldn't have been responsible for the attack on the mansion, after all the battle had been in the sewages and with Viktor leading the charge, few would have managed to escape the devastation. Her mind flashed to the burning mansion. The smoke had been playing havoc with her senses buy she should still have been able to pick out Trinity's scent.

A flare of hope surged through her and she jerked away from the window almost as if something had zapped her. Jonathan glanced at her curiously, watching as sudden realization dawned on the vampire. She quickly moved towards the computer, fingers dancing across the keyboard as she kept one eye on the security footage around their temporary residence and the other searching through the list of other safe houses.

"What's wrong?" Jonathan softly questioned, making his way towards her, careful not to wake the others.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" Jonathan arched an eyebrow at the vampire, expecting a different answer than the one he received. He shot the monitors a quick glance before returning his gaze to the brunette, trying to make sense of her behaviour. "What are you searching for?"

"These safe houses are all linked together on one mainframe with motion sensors, revealing which ones are active," the vampire replied and Jonathan leaned in to peer at the screen, noting several flashing red dots beside various safe house locations.

"And the flashing red dots mean what exactly?"

"That they're occupied." came the reply and Jonathan paused for a moment and peered at the vampire.

There seemed to be a sudden urgency about the way she was searching through the list, as if she was trying to find something. In all her years as a Death Dealer, Selene had learned to trust her instinct. And this time was no different.

"I think she's still alive Joanthan."

"What?" Jonathan breathed out in bewilderment and disbelief, "Selene…the mansion was destroyed beyond recognition…it was _burning_. Even if she was alive inside, the flames-"

"You don't know that," Selene growled and glared at him. "Her scent wasn't there. And if it was, I couldn't pick it up."

"Would you have been able to? With all that smoke and fire?"

"Maybe…I don't know….Something just _doesn't_ feel right."

"Fucking hell," Jonathan muttered running a hand over his buzz cut and trying to gather his thoughts.

* * *

><p>He had seen the destroyed mansion, seen the flames as it licked and burned everything in its path. The smell of charred bodies still lingered in his mind. There was no hope of anyone surviving that. Yet, the very idea of Trinity being alive caused his heart to skip a beat and hope to flare forth. The blonde was like a daughter to him. This was <em>his<em> family and he was supposed to protect them. His heart had broken at the very sight of the burning mansion. Jonathan hadn't allowed himself to grieve in front of the group, and instead had pushed aside the pain and loss to be the leader they needed him to be. It was only in the darkness of the van that Jonathan had allowed the first tears to fall from his eyes.

"Think about it, nothing about the attack made any sense. Not when the battle was brought to the sewages," Selene softly said, laying the facts out and needing him to understand what she was saying.

"There are at least half a dozen of those beacons going off," Jonathan muttered as he stared at the screen and rubbed his chin, "I'm going to wake the others."

Tonight couldn't have been easy for Trinity and Amelia wanted nothing more than to shield her from the world of pain that the blonde was struggling to hide from. She had watched her turn the bag of blood over and over in her hands, staring down at the red liquid like it was a foreign object. It reminded Amelia of a child staring apprehensively at the vegetables on their plate, wondering whether or not to trust their mother and eat it. A soft sigh had escaped her and the Elder gently sat down beside the newly turned immortal, gently coaxing the blonde into drinking it.

"Feed, Trinity," Amelia instructed, gently guiding the bag up to the waiting mouth. She could see the blonde fighting herself before she allowed her instinct to take over.

"H-How do I…?" The blonde asked looking up at the Elder, blue eyes searching for an answer.

"It'll come to you. It's all in our nature," The Elder replied and ran a hand down her back hoping to ease her fear. She hoped it gave her a sense of comfort. She wanted her to know that she was not alone.

Holding the bag up to her mouth, Trinity relaxed her mind and let instinct take over. Amelia watched as the bag was slowly drained, feeling a surge of pride flow through her at the sight. She had made the right choice; she had given Trinity the chance of a second life, a life that will be filled with the love of a mother. And like any mother, she would protect her from anything and anyone that threatened to harm her. She would show Trinity the wonders of her new life, but most of all, she would show her that she would never be alone.

It wasn't long before the bag was drained. She could already feel the effects of feeding and her hunger began to ebb away while her body seemed to buzz with both energy and strength. Energy and strength she didn't believe any human could possibly possess. And yet, at the same time she felt a touch of weakness as her body adjusted to the changes.

"How do you feel?" Amelia asked tucking stray strands of hair away from the blonde's face before taking the empty bag from her. Turning away, Amelia placed the empty bag onto the surgical trolley beside the bloody bandages and medical equipment. She reached out and gently grasped the blonde's hand and gave it a squeeze of encouragement.

"I-I feel…strong and…weak at the same time," Trinity replied, brows creasing as she tried to describe how she felt.

Like a mother who knew when her child was ill and needed rest, Amelia regarded the young blonde knowingly. The wounds Trinity had sustained from the mansion were healing yet not as fast as Amelia had hoped despite the fact that she had been the _one_ who had bitten her. The shock her body had gone through following the change also meant her body needed time to recuperate.

"You're still very weak Trinity. You need to rest."

"But – "

Whatever the blonde was going to say died at the tip of her tongue at the well chastened look Amelia sent her and the blonde looked sheepishly back at her, knowing she was right. The Elder moved aside and gently helped the blonde lay back down. "The sun will be rising soon. There are many things to teach you, but first you must rest."

"Don't go," came the softly whispered words, and it pulled at the Elder's heart strings. Reaching out she squeezed the blonde's hand.

"I'll be here when you wake."

* * *

><p>Adam stalked down the hallway of the Ziodex research facility, frustration and concern written all over his face as he headed towards the director's office. The journey from the mansion had raised more questions than answers. He barely paid any attention to the young woman sitting at the desk in front of Ewan's office as he walked by.<p>

"Sir? Sir! You can't go – " The young woman called, trying to catch up to him before he could walk into her boss's office unannounced.

Choosing to ignore the young woman, he knocked once on the office door and didn't bother waiting for an answer before swiftly stepping inside and closing the door in the young woman's face. He could hear the soft murmurs of curses from the other side, knowing he had thoroughly infuriated the young woman.

"We have a serious problem," Adam revealed expecting to see Amelia present, however it seemed that his beloved Elder was nowhere in sight. His brows creased in confusion and automatically questioned her whereabouts. "Where's Amelia?"

"She's with Trinity," Jasper replied and glanced across at Ewan who was seated behind his desk quietly talking on the phone. "What did you find at the mansion?"

"It's completely destroyed," Adam informed earning a confused and stunned look from Jasper.

It caused Ewan to look up sharply upon hearing the words regardless of the fact that he was still on the phone. Quick, quiet words were exchanged before the director hung up and turned his full attention to the Death Dealer.

"Were there any survivors?" Ewan questioned wanting to be sure he wasn't hearing things.

"No. The entire building was burned to the ground," Adam answered and glanced across at the young vampire, knowing that he wasn't going to enjoy the rest of the news he had to share, "We also found Kraven's decapitated body."

"Son of a bitch! Couldn't even stay alive long enough for me to finish him off," Jasper cursed wishing he had been the one to deliver the fatal blow that ended the scheming vampire's life.

"Get in line kid, there are plenty of people who wouldn't mind ending that worthless twit's life," Adam reminded, knowing that he himself was on that list.

He glanced across at the director as he pressed a button from underneath his desk. The door to his office opened revealing the young woman from before. This time, Adam paid attention and noted that she was an attractive red-head, dressed in a cream blouse and black business skirt. Her hazel eyes burned brightly as she glared across the room at him and Adam couldn't help but give her an arrogant smile that seemed to rile her up even more.

"Stacey, please inform Amelia that Adam has returned and that we're in my office," Ewan instructed the woman.

"Of course Mr. Holstein, is there anything else?"

"No, that's all," the vampire replied, dismissing her and turning back to the pair, noticing Jasper's eyes lingering on her retreating form.

It wasn't long before there was a soft knock on the door, and Ewan nodded across the room at Jasper. The young vampire opened the door and immediately Ewan stood up from behind his desk as his green eyes caught sight of both Stacey and Amelia. The red-head stepped aside allowing the Elder to enter the office. There was a chorus of 'My Lady', and the trio bowed their heads respectfully as the Elder stepped through the threshold.

Amelia glanced around the office taking note of several framed certificates hanging on the wall behind Ewan's desk. She arched an eyebrow, wondering just how much spare time Ewan had on his hands to attend night classes and earn those degrees. A small flicker of recognition touched her face as she caught sight of the familiar paperweight she had given to him as a gift after she had revealed his new position as Director of the research facility.

Her eyes moved across to the large collection of books that sat neatly in alphabetical order on an equally large wooden shelf. Ewan had always been a lover of literature. She would have to find some time to pour through his collection, it was after all one of the common interest they shared. The soft click of the door sliding shut drew Amelia's attention back to the three occupants in the office.

Taking a seat on the red sofa she looked across at Adam, taking note of his stiff posture. She pressed her lips together and came to the conclusion that it was going to take a long time. She almost dreaded asking the question as the words left her mouth. "What did you find at the mansion?"

"T-There's nothing left my Lady. The mansion's burned down, completely destroyed," Adam revealed the devastating news and a look of disbelief and anger spread across the Elder's face.

"Impossible."

"My Lady, I-I speak the truth. There's nothing left," Adam softly stated as Amelia suddenly stood up and began to pace back and forth, clenching and unclenching her fists, trying to comprehend what he was saying.

_Impossible_. The word rang through her mind bringing forth a surge of emotions. Ordoghaz at the height of its power was the beacon, the core of the Vampire world – covens around the world turned to them. It was the very resting place of the Elders. It may have been Viktor's mansion, but it had still been a home for Amelia. The thought of it being nothing but rubble infuriated her.

She could already begin to feel the political ramifications as news of the assassination of the Council and Ordoghaz falling reached the other covens. Questions would be raised and Amelia knew she was going to be fighting tooth and nail to sustain her position of power. Growling she slammed her fist onto the wooden desk, feeling some satisfaction as the desk groaned at the impact, yet it did little to ease her mind. She knew that she would be the one paying the price for cleaning up Viktor's mess.

She was not going down for this.

"We did, however find Kraven's decapitated body," Adam informed hoping to at least deliver some form of good news before he continued on. He grimaced, knowing that the rest of the news was not going to sit well with her. "We tried to locate Markus, however when we got there, the tomb was already empty. Kraven and his men were all dead in the throne room. W-We're not sure where Markus is."

"_What?_" Amelia screeched unable to believe what she was hearing. Furious that Kraven had gotten to Markus first, she picked up a paperweight on Ewan's desk and threw it against the wall, watching as it shattered into a million broken pieces. Regret swept through her as she realized she had picked up the paperweight she had given to Ewan as a gift.

Ewan cringed and stared at the broken pieces, wondering how his peaceful night had turned into chaos.

"Did you at least find the creature?" Amelia hissed, needing to hear some good news as she turned around and glared at the Death Dealer.

"There was no sign of it anywhere," he replied and hesitated for a moment before continuing on, "We found some tire tracks…it could be from one of our vehicles. There's a possibility that there may be survivors out there."

This caused Jasper to straighten up and glance across at the Elder, noting that the fury had died down yet he could still see a burning in her dark eyes. "If they escaped the massacre, it would mean they're in hiding. The safe houses are all connected to one another on the main frame."

Amelia's jaw tightened as her mind filtered through the information Adam had given her. With the fall of Ordoghaz, all eyes were going to be on New York. She needed to find answers and soon.

"Did you manage to get a hold of Dmitry?"

"He managed to escape the massacre and was on a flight back to New York. He's turned the plane around and is heading back. He won't arrive until sundown tomorrow," Ewan informed, brows creasing as the Elder began to pace again.

"And my Death Dealers?"

"Dmitry's sending across at least thirty for the time being and they too will be arriving tomorrow at sundown."

"Good," Amelia replied and turned her attention to Khan's second-in-charge, "Adam, the moment the sun goes down, you will meet with my Death Dealers and take two teams. I want every activated safe house searched for survivors. You will bring them back to my estate. The remaining Death Dealers are to meet me there."

"My Lady?" Jasper questioned looking confused by her orders, and he knew he wasn't the only one.

"Ordoghaz has fallen and the covens will now be looking at New York for guidance. I will not allow one of the oldest and strongest covens to fall and fade into history."

Ewan glanced across at the small clock on his desk. His eyes widened ever so slightly upon seeing the time. He reached under his desk and pushed the button, waiting for a few seconds before there was a soft knock on the door. He cleared his throat and called his assistant in before turning his attention to Amelia.

"Sunrise will be here in an hour. I suggest we all retire for the time being. I've set up some beds; unfortunately it's not the most luxurious of places. Stacey will be able to escort you to where you'll be staying."

* * *

><p>"Wait a second, let me get this straight. You believe Trinity's alive because nothing about the attack on the mansion made sense?" Rusty asked as he regarded both Jonathan and Selene with apprehension. He wanted nothing more than to believe them but he needed solid proof.<p>

"Call it gut instinct," Selene bluntly replied, "Actually, I don't care what you want to call it."

"You think she made it out?" Jamie asked hoarsely, staring directly at the vampire, his voice thick with emotion. It was the first time since discovering the burning mansion that he had spoken directly to her.

"There are over half a dozen beacons going off – those safe houses are active and if they're active, that means there has to be survivors."

"Shit," Jamie murmured running a hand through his hair and trying to wrap his mind around what she was saying. Of course, none of it adds up. Yet he had been so focused, so angry at Selene for causing the loss that he had pushed it aside. A surge of hope flared up inside him, causing him to lick his lips in anticipation and he suddenly found himself full of energy. Screw his injured leg. He was ready to get back out there. "We should start – "

"The sun's rising in less than an hour," Michael pointed out quickly and glanced across at the Death Dealer before letting his gaze fall back onto the twin, "If Trinity's out there, then she's with…vampires. They're going to be resting."

"Michael has a point. We should wait until sun down," Jonathan said knowing that despite what Jamie was feeling at the moment, he was just running on adrenaline. He needed the twin at full capacity and if it meant holding off the search until sunset, then so be it. He was not going to lose another member of his family.

* * *

><p>A black sports car sped through the dark and empty streets of the city, the driver paying little attention to the speed limit as she concentrated on her destination. Rounding the corner, the driver gently slowed down as green eyes searched the various expensive apartment buildings before seeking the one she was looking for. Parking the car across the street from the building, the brunette killed the engine and glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure no one had followed her. Satisfied, she reached across and grabbed a silver briefcase before stepping out. She smiled briefly at the door man as she entered the building.<p>

One of the reasons she had chosen this building was because of its' location and convenience. Security wasn't a problem either, although she had paid ample for hers. No one would think to find her here. Here she could be anyone she wanted. The brunette entered the elevator on her right and once the steel doors closed, she reached into her pocket and slid the security card into its slot on the panel. A moment later a small section of the panel opened up revealing a security pad. Quick, skilled fingers entered in the code before there was a soft beep indicating the acceptance of both the keycard and the security code. The elevator launched and began ascending.

It didn't take long before the brunette reached her destination. The steel doors opened and she stepped out onto her floor. Cautiously glancing up and down the lighted hallway, she slowly made her way to the apartment. Sliding the key into the keyhole, the brunette knew that no one would be able to find her. No one, not even her team knew this place existed. Stepping into the apartment, the brunette felt herself relax slightly. This was her domain. Closing and locking the door, she placed the sliver brief case onto the kitchen bench.

The apartment itself was rather spacious. The longue had a large flat screen television mounted on the wall. Four computer monitors were in the far corner showing security footage of the surrounding buildings, the hallway and inside the elevators. No one would be able to get past without her knowing. A small hallway from the lounge led to the bedroom and bathroom. Cold fingers flicked open the briefcase, and lifted up the lid as green eyes hungrily ate up the sight of the green notes that lie inside. She couldn't help but feel like she had walked away with the better end of the deal.

Grabbing the remote, the brunette turned on the television, barely paying any attention until her ears pricked upon hearing the news.

"_The fire at the Ordoghaz mansion has finally been put out. The rain helped but it had taken a while before authorities had been notified. A neighbor nearby woke up after hearing their dog whining and pawing at the back door of their house. The fire has done extensive damage and authorities are unsure whether there were occupants living inside at the time."_

Without breaking eye contact from the screen, the brunette pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"Sloan, it's Cecelia. I need information."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything except the original characters that I have created.

**Rating:** M for violence and swearing and sexual references (in the future)

**Author's Note:** I do apologize for the very, very long wait. Real life seemed to have caught up with me for a while - been very busy with my studies and research project (which is all finished now! All I have to do is apply to graduate - very exciting times). As a result I haven't been able to write regularly as I want. I can't promise regular updates but will try my best. On another note, it's quite a long chapter so I hope I've made up a little for my absence.

This story does include femslash, so if it does offend you, I apologize in advance.

This is told from several POVs so I hope it doesn't confuse you too much. This chapter has been beta-ed by Violent-Flames. Thank you so much for being my beta and taking the time. Thank-you for all the reviews, you really do push me write and improve. I hope the long wait has been worth it.

Again thank-you for all those who have patiently waited and stuck by.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four:<strong>

Michael stared down at the bag of blood in his hands, turning it around and watching as the blood splashed around inside the bag. The red liquid called out to him causing his throat to constrict with thirst and want. It also caused him to look away equally in disgust. This wasn't him or so he liked to think. He was no longer human – physically at least. He vaguely remembered the pain he had felt as his body physically transformed for the first time and he shuddered upon the idea of releasing the creature from deep within him out into the open again. Michael was still getting used to everything – his senses were far more sensitive than they once were. It had startled him at first when he realized he could hear the soft, steady beating of heartbeats within the safe house and smell the dust and grime although he struggled not to gag at the heavy smell of sweat and body odor from the other males in the safe house. He honestly didn't know how Selene kept a straight face. What he did enjoy smelling though, was the mixing of his own scent on Melinda. Perhaps that had to do with the creature inside him than himself.

He had stumbled his way through asking the vampire and he had thought he saw a flicker of amusement in her dark eyes before it disappeared. Perhaps a trick of the light? He wasn't sure. The hybrid in him shook his head, almost embarrassed by Michael's display of behavior. He had never seen Selene smile nor look amused – she was always serious and cold, lacking the warmth a human normally exuded.

Meditation, Selene had quietly told him, was one way she had dealt with the change, that and being trained to become one of Viktor's most prized and feared Death Dealers. That darkness would always be inside him and he had to wonder whether it could be tamed. He never voiced this to Selene – too afraid of the answer. For now though, Michael had kept it on a tight leash, too afraid of losing control. He couldn't afford that. The very idea of harming those he loved and considered to be friends filled him with terror and disgust. He would never be able to forgive himself.

Michael shuddered just thinking about what he been so close to doing only moments ago.

He had felt like he was being suffocated. His senses seemed to be in overdrive. He could feel, taste and hear _everything_. It was overwhelming. Their voices seemed to echo and bounce off the walls in his mind. It felt like he was drowning in a sea of faces as they flashed and swirled through his mind. The deafening sound of throbbing hearts beating echoed in his ears and he suddenly found it difficult to breathe.

But he could smell _her_. He could smell Melinda and it was driving him crazy. It was hard enough to deal with it down in the sewers when she had hugged him, but being this close to her now was doing things to him. The smell lingered in the back of his nostrils and seemed to be burned into his senses. He could feel something deep inside him twist and turn, becoming restless as it rattled against the cage inside him, wanting to be released. The creature wanted to be let out - it wanted to taste the fear and warm blood as he ripped their throats apart.

The sun had just started to set. Jonathan and Selene were quietly discussing which safe house to search first. Michael hadn't even realized what he was doing before he looked around in confusion as the others stared at him with horrified and bewildered expressions. Unconsciously he had taken a step towards Melinda, a mistake in hind sight, as he suddenly came face to face with the end of a gun barrel. Several in fact.

As he looked around, he tried to understand what they were saying - his mind seemed to be focused on other things such as the smell of fear that seemed to suddenly penetrate the air. It stirred something inside him. A low growl escaped him. And that was when everything seemed to spiral out of control. Everyone began shouting, loudly, their tones warning.

The look on Melinda caused him to falter as he attempted to step towards her, noting that everyone around seemed to take a step back. Jonathan had stepped in front of the brunette, shielding her from him. The move angered him and it must have shown because the next moment he was thrown against the wall with a strong arm pressing against his throat. It didn't stop him from struggling against the vampire.

He didn't understand - all he wanted to do was be near Melinda. Why couldn't they understand that?

"It's not going to grow legs any time soon and walk into your mouth, you know?" a soft voice said, drawing him away from his thoughts of those regretful events and back to the present.

Turning slightly, his gaze fell on Melinda as she leaned against the archway and arched an eyebrow at him, "Are you going to feed?"

Tearing his eyes away, Michael looked down at the bag in his hands, unsure of what he wanted to do. The creature was now held at bay, if only for the moment. How long before it reared its ugly head again?

A soft sigh escaped the brunette as she pushed away from the archway and made her way towards him, swallowing away the fear washing over her. This was Michael after all. The kind-hearted man whom she had came to know and fallen in love with. Nothing was ever going to change that.

"Selene's right you know, you can't put this off forever," Melinda quietly informed him, and it made him wonder how long she had been listening in on their conversation.

"I know she is," Michael replied and tossed the bag back onto the steel bench, watching as the blood slushed around violently inside. Pointing at it, he looked back at Melinda, eyes darkening in anger and confusion. "_That_ changes everything."

"Not everything. It doesn't change who you are as a person."

"Yes it does. I'm not human anymore!"

"You think you're not human anymore? Michael, what makes you human is the fact that you _feel_!" Melinda exclaimed, wanting to reach some sense into him. She could see his doubt and knew that he was trying so hard to accept the change. "You are not a monster Michael. None of this makes you less human."

"I thought I could be…normal. Like none of this ever happened. But I can't. I'm _not_." Pausing for a moment, "How can you be so sure?"

Michael asked, desperately wanting to believe her. Hazel eyes searched his and the brunette reached out, gently tracing his cheek, "Because you're still the same man that I met and fell in love with. Nothing will ever change that."

Looking away, Michael gritted his teeth and focused his eyes on the others in the next room. He could hear them arguing quietly amongst themselves. He had been so close to losing control before. It scared him that he was capable of such violence. Melinda's confession replayed in his mind, her words causing his heart to skip a beat. A warmth spread through him and he wanted nothing more than to reach out and kiss her.

But he couldn't bring himself to move or even return the words. Deep down in the back of his mind, he knew that there would be no happy ending for them. There was no telling what would happen once Amelia found out about what he was. Michael shivered as Lucian's memories pushed through to the surface of his mind and he clenched his jaw in an attempt to rid his mind of the image of Sonja. He would never forgive himself if anything happened to Melinda.

Shaking his head, he pulled away from her wanting some distance between them. He needed to protect her. He needed her to be as far away from him as possible.

"No. I won't put you through this."

"You won't? I think that's my decision Michael," Melinda replied crossing her arms as her eyes hardened.

"I can hurt you. I am capable of so much destruction. I would never forgive myself if I ever hurt you or the others."

"You need to have a little more faith in yourself."

"Don't you get it?" Michael shouted wanting to grab her and shake some sense into her. His eyes were wide with desperation and fear. "I was so close to…to ripping your throat apart! That's _not_ normal. Nothing about this is normal!"

"You think I don't know that?" Melinda hissed, remembering how Michael had changed before her very eyes. It had scared her, for a moment he wasn't the man she had fallen in love with but a creature driven by the basic instinct to feed. "I've seen things that I _know_ shouldn't exist! But you, you are not like them Michael."

She stepped towards him, turning his face so that he stared straight into her eyes.

"I don't even know if I can control it."

"I trust you Michael, more than anyone. I know that you're scared, I am too. But I trust you," she replied, placing her hand over his chest before reaching to grab the bag of blood and holding it out to him. "I know things are difference now, but if you want to protect me? Protect the others? Then you have to accept this side of you."

* * *

><p>Selene reached out and stopped Jonathan from chasing after his daughter as she stepped into the next room. The human glared down at her hand on his chest and she knew that he was fighting every instinct within him not to chase after his daughter. She could feel the tension in the room rise. Everyone was on edge. The vampire cursed silently, knowing that if Michael had just listened to her they wouldn't be in this situation. She had seen their reactions – the tautness and wariness, Jamie and Leo had been more than ready to open fire if she hadn't stepped in.<p>

"What the fuck was that?" Rusty hissed quietly in fear of Michael hearing their conversation.

"D-Did he just…," Danny trailed off not wanting to finish off his train of thought. He swallowed and stared at the vampire, silently demanding an explanation.

"He hasn't fed," Selene murmured and felt Jonathan's eyes on her. She didn't have to look up to see the rage printed on his expression.

"He hasn't _what_?" Jonathan snapped quietly, already moving towards the next room, only to have the vampire grab hold of his arm, preventing him. "You let my daughter go in there with an…_animal_that hasn't fed? Are you out of your mind?!"

"She knows what she's getting into Jonathan, you underestimate her."

Jonathan growled and pulled his arm away, glaring at the Death Dealer as he began pacing like a caged animal. He knew he had to calm down. He was their leader. He needed to be able to think clearly and yet all he could think about was Melinda. Jonathan had seen Michael's eyes change from blue to completely black. It had stunned him, taken him completely by surprise before realizing how much danger they were all suddenly in. Hell, if it hadn't been for Selene, Jonathan knew they wouldn't be alive at this moment.

Yet it didn't make it easier to see Melinda walk into the next room with a newly turned hybrid who had yet to have its first meal. How had he missed this?

"Fucking hell," Rusty cursed quietly and ran hand through his hair in clear agitation. "He could have ripped us apart."

"But he didn't." Selene sharply reminded them all.

"Because you stepped in, next time you might not be there," Danny logically pointed out and Jamie gripped his weapon, glancing across at Jonathan who seemed to be focusing one eye on the other room and the other on the conversation.

"Doc has a point. Next time, he could be tearing one of us apart," Jamie added before continuing quietly, "Or Melinda."

Gritting his teeth, Jonathan ran a hand over his shaved head, trying to keep the image of Melinda's bloodied body out of his head. In the back of his mind, Jonathan knew this was going to happen. However, he had thought that he had more time to plan. Now it seemed as if time had run out. His daughter was in the next room with a newly turned hybrid. He had his suspicions that there was something going on between his daughter and Michael. He knew that he wasn't the only one.

"I say we get rid of him," Rusty said raising his hand up into the air as he met the Death Dealer's gaze head on. He refused to back down, not after everything that had happened. They had lost Gabriel and their home to this war. He refused to lose any more of his family.

"Well, what a pointless mission it was to go and rescue him then," the vampire sarcastically replied and the ex-arms dealer stepped towards her, suddenly forgetting for a moment that she wasn't human.

"I'm sorry, but who in this room is actually _alive_? Who in this fucking room is a walking Happy Meal to creatures like you?" Rusty spat letting his emotions take over him and glanced around the room as several hands rose up in the air to join his.

Jonathan frowned and crossed his arms. Grey eyes moved from one face to another, knowing that the events of the last few days were beginning to take a toll on the group, not to mention on him. They were all on edge and frustrated and it didn't help matters with Michael's refusal to feed.

"He's still the same man he was before he was turned," came a soft voice, causing Jonathan to glance over the Death Dealer's shoulder to meet his daughter's gaze head on.

"That may be but he's still a danger to _all_ of us, not to mention the general public."

"So you're killing him, after swearing to protect him?"

"We're not saying that, but we are now facing an entirely different situation Melinda," Jonathan argued and the brunette shook her head, cheeks flushing with anger. Running a hand over his shaved head, he knew deep down the threat that Michael posed but he also knew that he could leave him out there to fend for himself.

Selene was right. There was no telling what would happen. With the lycans scattered after the death of Lucian and the vampires searching with a thirst of vengeance, Michael was going to be caught in the middle. Hell, _they_ were going to be caught in the middle. But firstly, he had to know if Michael was a danger to them, to Melinda.

"Is he a danger?" The ex-soldier asked holding up hand as Melinda tried to speak, "I'm asking Selene, Melinda."

"No. He knows what has to be done. He wouldn't risk any harm to any of you. The question is, do you have enough faith in him?"

* * *

><p>Trinity tried to focus on the book in front of her as she attempted to ignore the fact that Jasper was silently watching her from across the medical infirmary like a hawk. She had woken up from a restless sleep in the late afternoon or what she assumed to be the late afternoon. Jasper had been beside her, standing guard, the moment she woke. Amelia and Adam had briefly visited although Trinity suspected that Jasper had alerted the Elder once she had woken. Another bag of blood was given to her while Amelia filled her in on the events before the Elder quietly excused herself from the room the moment Ewan had wished to have a quiet word with her. Adam and Jasper had taken over and despite their assurance that her brother and family were safe, Trinity wished they'd let her out to find them.<p>

Memories from the night's events and Gabriel's death plagued her dreams and she wondered if she'd ever be able to sleep peacefully ever again. Yet despite her restless sleep, the blonde's body felt rested and she struggled to contain the sudden burst of energy that hit her. It made her feel alive. The large gaping wound across her abdomen had all but disappeared leaving behind only a faint scar as the only evidence of the injury. It was almost like the injury never occurred. Her fingers had reached up unconsciously to touch her neck, expecting to feel Amelia's bite mark only to find smooth unmarred skin. Perhaps it was relief or comfort that flooded through her, knowing that the others will not know that she had been turned, at least she'll be able to tell them on her own terms.

Her body was still adjusting to the sudden change, and the entire transition was something the blonde scientist was still trying to come to terms with. She was grateful and perhaps felt indebted to Amelia for saving her, but there was a part of her that found little comfort in being an Immortal. Things were going to be different know, she knew that and was still struggling to come to terms with what that meant. She couldn't help but grimace at the very thought of Jamie finding out. That conversation wasn't going to go down well, and a sudden sense of panic flared up inside her. She couldn't help but imagine how furious Jonathan was going to be – she knew how overprotective he was (close to rivaling Jamie).

And then there was Selene - the Death Dealer who had so unexpectedly entered her life down in the sewages and turned her world upside down. A warm, tingling sensation flooded her body as she remembered the last kiss they shared. She never felt more alive as the kiss had taken her breath away. Amongst all the chaos and destruction, Trinity knew that no matter how crazy it sounded, she wanted to be the only one kissing Selene and the only one to be kissed by Selene.

"What's wrong?" came a soft voice and the blonde glanced up from the book, staring straight into dark orbs.

"N-Nothing," Trinity murmured trying to assure the young vampire, although she knew she wasn't doing a convincing job. She pushed the memory of the kiss away and tried to focus on the book once again.

Jasper arched an eyebrow, not at all convinced and crossed his arms. "You've been staring at that page for the past ten minutes. Something's wrong."

Trinity couldn't help but shiver and frowned, "You've been staring at me all this time? That's…creepy. Don't do that."

His lips twitched in mild amusement as he watched the blonde shift uncomfortably. She raised the book to cover her face before it was lowered again and a soft sigh escaped her. He had been watching her from across the room, and saw the way her brows creased in concentration at the text in front of her before a thoughtful look spread across her features. It wasn't long before he caught the grimace. He couldn't help but wonder what had suddenly caused her to look so distracted.

"Trinity?" He asked sincerely. Over the course of the week, Jasper had developed a somewhat surprising friendship with the blonde scientist. He had never imagined to be-friend a human before. They had grown close, both bonding during Amelia's recovery and he liked to think that she was now comfortable enough to confide in him.

Her mind was racing with thoughts that were too fast for her to grasp and focus on. She knew that things were different now and despite this she was still struggling to come to terms with what it all meant. Her life was no longer what it was – the rules had changed and there was now a new set of rules, rules that she was still learning and discovering.

"H-How did you cope with the change?" She asked curiously as she peered across the room at him. She had never thought to ask Jasper, however now that she stared at him, he barely looked like he was older than twenty-five.

How young was it when he had been turned? She wondered.

"I was never…turned. My parents are vampires, have been for a number of centuries. I suppose you could say I was born a vampire."

Startled and taken aback by the answer, Trinity stared at him trying to comprehend what she was hearing. Her brows creased, it had never occurred to her that vampires were able to reproduce, much less carry to a full term. Mythology had always suggested that to become a vampire, one had to be bitten. She was fascinated by the news and the scientist within her itched to study him.

"Y-You were born a vampire? Is that even possible?" She murmured suddenly wishing for a notepad and pen to write down everything that he was telling her.

A thoughtful look spread across her face as she stared at him. Stories had often portrayed vampires as 'dead' and who were unable to reproduce. And yet, from what Selene had revealed, vampires were very much living being who had just indeed been infected with a virus. It made sense now, that it is forbidden to drink from humans – one bite and the virus would be transmitted.

He chuckled at her words and leaned back in his chair as he regarded her for a moment. He had wondered through the night, why Amelia had chosen Trinity as her childe and perhaps for the first time, it started making sense to him. Trinity was smart – intelligent in fact and saw the world in a different light to many. It set her apart from others. Yet she had a deep curiosity to understand how everything around her worked.

"There are two ways one can become a vampire. The first involves being bitten – it is considered an honor to bestow a human with this gift of Immortality and isn't one that should be taken lightly. The second well…it involves…you know…a male and a female-"

"I get it Jasper," Trinity cut him off, suddenly avoiding his eyes and knew that if she was human her cheeks would be bright red, although, she was suddenly feeling her cheeks flare up in heat.

Jasper stared at her and for a moment he thought he saw her cheeks go bright red, shaking his head he gave her small smile, taking note of her embarrassment of the topic. "You know vampire mating is a very interesting topic, one I'm _sure_ Selene wouldn't mind sharing her thoughts on."

"Jasper!"

He couldn't help but laugh as the blonde glared at him, clearly flustered by his comment.

"W-We're not…I mean it's _not_ like that…at least it isn't at this point…Jasper!" Trinity stuttered, caught off guard and tried to focus her mind on other things that didn't involve Selene and a bed. Covering her face, she tried to ignore the laughter and mumbled, "I hate you."

Arching an eyebrow, he gave her a sly grin, "You haven't thought about taking her leather-"

"Jasper!" Trinity squeaked, her eyes widening at his words and she shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts and glared at him. He tried to keep his laughter at bay, only to snort which set off another round of laughter. The blonde wished the floor would open up and swallow her.

Finally getting himself under control, Jasper grinned and tried to look serious, "I'm sorry. It was too hard to resist."

Trinity huffed and gave him a hard look, deciding to return to the topic at hand. "So how long does a pregnancy last for a vampire?"

"Well…," Jasper creased his brows and thought for a moment, "Usually four to five months."

"F-Four to five months? T-That's…," Trinity trailed off in astonishment, her mind struggling with what Jasper had revealed. Four to five months was a very fast pregnancy, much faster than humans. In fact, the blonde was almost sure that there weren't many mammals that had such a short pregnancy.

"We grow much faster in the womb compared to a human fetus. By the first year we are able to speak and walk – our mental maturity is much quicker and it makes us young Yearlings seem older than we really are to humans," Jasper explained.

"Yearling?"

"It's what we call young vampires who have yet to reach adulthood," He replied pausing before continuing on, "Adulthood is reached when we turn fifty."

"Fifty?" Trinity gaped and looked him up and down. Jasper certainly didn't look like he was fifty, however the blonde knew that looks can be deceiving. She was curious to know whether he was a considered to be an adult. He certainly did carry himself with that sense of mentality. "You're an adult?"

Jasper laughed and shook his head, giving her a boyish grin. "No, I'm still a Yearling. I've just left puberty actually."

"You're still in puberty?" The blonde choked her head spinning as she processed this news. The whole concept intrigued her. "But you look like you're twenty!"

"I'm thirty actually. Puberty is much different from humans. It occurs when we reach our twenty-fifth birthday. At a certain point our bodies stop growing physically." He rubbed his chin and shrugged his shoulders, "I honestly don't know the biology behind it. You're probably better off asking Dr. Walsh about that."

Trinity hesitated before asking, "Is Dr. Walsh a vampire?"

"He is, turned around the 1900s."

"I never would have guessed that," Trinity murmured shaking her head as a soft knock caused them both to glance towards to the door.

Startled by the interruption, the blonde scientist stiffened and shifted uneasily in her seat. They had not seen Amelia or Adam in over three hours and she assumed they were dealing with something important. She had tried to question Jasper, however the young vampire refused to budge. She was still getting used to everything and there were only a few people in the building she trusted. Trinity couldn't help but think of the last time she had been stuck in a room, it had not ended well.

Jasper seemed to sense the blonde's uneasiness and gave her a reassuring smile as he crossed the room, "It's probably just Adam." And yet, he cautiously moved his hand to his side arm, ready to defend Trinity if the need came.

Brown eyes landed on a dark haired man in a white lab coat, and Jasper immediately recognized him.

"Dr. Walsh," Jasper greeted, stepping back the young vampire let the doctor enter the medical infirmary. Despite his initial reservations about the doctor, Ewan had assured him that Dr. Walsh was one of the best in his field and was more than capable of seeing to Trinity's change and wounds.

"Jasper," Dr. Walsh returned the greeting with a small nod and glanced across to Amelia's childe. "Trinity."

"Dr. Walsh," the scientist gave him a small smile, and seemingly relaxed upon seeing a familiar face. Biting on her lower lip, she glanced apprehensively at him, "I-Is everything alright?"

"Oh, um, of course," Dr. Walsh replied glancing back and forth between Jasper and Trinity, before continuing on. "Amelia wants to make sure you're well enough to travel."

"Wait, travel?" Trinity questioned in confusion, there hadn't been any mention of leaving Ziodex and besides, Amelia had made it clear that she wasn't allowed to go out and search for her family. That was to be left for Adam and the Death Dealers.

Dr. Walsh glanced across at Jasper unsure of the information he should be revealing. He began to speak only to be cut off by Jasper. "Ah-"

"We're moving to Amelia's estate," Jasper revealed watching as a frown settled on the blonde's features.

"What about Selene and – "

"Adam's going to be leading two teams of Death Dealers to search the safe houses," he cut in, wanting to reassure her. He regarded her for a moment, before continuing. "You'll be safe at the estate."

Dr. Walsh coughed and glanced at Jasper and gave him a weak smile, "Would you mind waiting outside, while I perform some checks?"

"I'll be right outside Trinity," Jasper replied staring directly at the blonde, letting her know that he wouldn't be far.

* * *

><p>Adam unloaded his weapon to check his magazine before slamming it back into place. He stared out at the two teams of Death Dealers Amelia had sent across from New York. Yet again he found himself leading. It was not an unfamiliar position he was in, although he was used to following Selene's orders and then by extension, Kahn. They had seen many battles together, even saving the one another's life once or twice to the point that they had lost count over the centuries. And if Adam really thought about it, at the end of the day he would have gladly followed Selene to the depths of hell and back.<p>

There were few that Selene trusted and he was glad he was one of them. However, nothing could have prepared him for the events that unraveled over the course of the last few days. There had been rumors throughout the mansion of course, only spoken in whispers for fear of Kraven and his men overhearing.

He should have ignored her orders the night Dmitry had arrived and followed her. He had organized the team, only to have her tell him that he was to stay at the mansion. She needed to be sure that there would be some resistance if Kraven made his move. It had been pointless to argue as Adam knew he could not change her mind on the matter. Once Selene had set her mind on something it was next to impossible to change it.

He had been surprised as anyone to discover that she had awakened Viktor. She knew the laws better than anyone. Something had changed. Adam had seen it in the War room, the way she had reached out to stop Trinity from stepping away from her to the tiniest flicker of panic in her dark eyes that he didn't even know she knew of. It was subtle but it had been there.

And now, Adam hoped Selene had survived the battle in the sewages. He knew that he was not the only one that was counting on her.

"I want every safe house searched. All survivors are to be escorted to Amelia's estate. There are ten safe houses, you'll be in quads. I want five groups of quads," Adam instructed loudly watching as the Death Dealers moved into assigned groups, before continuing on, "There is the chance you'll be encountering a group of humans who travel with Selene. They are to be _unharmed_. And are instead to be taken to Amelia's estate, those are her orders. Are we clear?"

Adam could see the surprise on many of their faces and knew that after tonight their world was going to change.

"There are ten safe houses. How are we going to search all of them?" Jamie softly asked looking frustrated and agitated as he stared at the ten locations on the piece of the paper, before glancing around at the now empty ship. "It's going to take all night."

"Quiet!" Rusty whispered clutching his weapon and stared at the abandoned building, as the others quietly climbed out of the stolen vehicle.

The group had left the safe house a little over an hour ago to begin their search after much debate over where to begin - ten locations and with only 10 hours before sunrise. Their time was slipping away from them. A stolen vehicle later, it had been decided that the closest safe house, located just outside the city was going to be searched first. It was an abandoned building near the shipping docks. Dark eyes looked out into the night taking note of the large ships, yachts and fishing boats were tied to the docks. Several buildings faced the ocean and it was only one that interested her tonight.

They had driven around with the headlights off, scouting the area for any possible danger before finally deciding it was safe. The smell of sea salt and marine life hung in the air causing Selene's nose to twitch. She had never been a fan of seafood and it was a dislike that had carried on once she had been turned. The sound of the calm ocean could be heard and it brought a sense of calm over her, soothing the raging emotions that threatened to break through. She had been on edge since they had left the safe house, the need to find Trinity high on her list.

"Michael, I need you and Leo on the perimeter. You'll be our eyes on the outside," Jonathan ordered pointing in two different directions. He glanced at his daughter and shook his head, "Melinda. Stay here."

"Wh-"

"I'm serious Melinda. Stay in the van," he instructed holding up her hand and cutting off whatever objection she was about to voice. He reached into his holster and withdrew his glock and landed it to her. "I trust you remember how to use this?"

Staring down at the weapon, she hesitated for a moment before finally nodding, "Yes."

"Use it if you have to," he quietly murmured.

"There is one entrance, I will lead –"Selene began only to be cut off by Jamie.

"Wait, why you?"

"Because the moment you step foot into that building, you will be surrounded and quite possibly shot at. You're a human and will not hesitate to shoot and ask questions later," she replied sharply.

"Selene takes point," Jonathan said and turned to the others, "Alright, comms on. No talking until we're inside. Let's go."

Dark eyes roamed the outside of the building, taking care to note that there were no lights on through the windows. Moving forward, she led the group to the entrance of the building. Fingers brushed at the door, searching for the hidden panel before finally finding it, hidden in the wall. Fingers pushed and dark eyes watched as the panel revealed itself and came to life.

She entered her pass code and glanced over her shoulder at the others, "Be on guard."

"Leo, Michael we're entering, eyes on the perimeter."

"Got it Jonathan," Leo murmured through the comms.

Drawing her weapon the Death Dealer entered the building, her eyes adjusting to the darkness almost instantly. She tilted her head, taking note of the dust and spider webs. This safe house hadn't been used in a long time. The soft glow of light entered the corner of her vision and she turned slightly to see the others switching their small flashlights on, that were attached to her weapons. Light shined on the high wooden beams and stairs. It was then that Selene realized that the abandoned building was once a warehouse. Reminisces of machinery and shelves were littered throughout the building.

Her brows creased as her sense of smell was hit with a familiar scent that lingered in the air.

Blood.

Raising her weapon instantly, she silently indicated with her head. Jonathan nodded and indicated to the others to spread out. She could smell the dirt and ash. There were survivors here. Moving through the rowes of shelves, she stepped around the corner and stiffened. The softest sound of footsteps could be heard behind her, too soft to be human. Whirling around, she raised her weapon coming face to face with the end of another.

"Drop your gun," ordered the soft familiar voice.

Selene tilted her head and her brows creased as she lowered her weapon ever so slightly.

"Adam?"

* * *

><p><strong>NB:<strong> The vampire life cycle mentioned in this series has been influenced by Underworld, True Blood, Twilight, Sanctuary and Lord of Rings. I looked at several different 'mythical' creatures and came up with my own version of the vampire life cycle. If you would like more detail, I am happy to discuss further (just PM me).


End file.
